Australia

Angove’s Bear Crossing Cabernet Merlot
South Australia $11.95 (592766)
A well-priced Australian (that’s a koala bear) blend of 65% Cabernet and 35% Merlot. It offers good weight and structure, soft texture, and quite intense dark fruit flavours with mint and spice notes. Drink it with hearty red meat dishes. (RP)

Peter Lehmann Barossa Chardonnay 2002
Barosssa Valley, Australia $14.95 (611459)
A medium-bodied, fruit-forward Chardonnay with very good ripe fruit flavours (peach, tropical) and hints of caramel. It’s nicely balanced with acidity and you can sip it or drink it with white fish and fruit salsa. (RP)

Lindeman “Bin 65” Chardonnay 2004
South Eastern Australia $ 10.45 (142117)
Celebrating 20 years (initially made for export to Canada ) of wild success. The tropical fruit (honeydew melon, fig, peach) aromatics whoosh from the glass of one of the world’s leading whites. A creamy texture with similar fruit flavours and a hint of oak and nuts follow through from the nose. Quaff or pair with chicken in cream sauce. Good acidity frames a lingering finish. (VH)

Mad Fish Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Cabernet Franc 2002
Western Australia $15.95 (588871)
A classic blend from Western Australia, this is a delicious wine at a great price. It’s big bodied with full-on fruit flavours (black cherry, plum, berries) with nice nuances of smoke and spice. Complex, well balanced, dry, lightly tannic and with a long finish, this is excellent value and a natural for rich dishes like lamb or game. (RP)

Penmara Wines “Five Families” Shiraz 2001
Hunter Valley, Australia $13.60 (565929)
Unique premise of 5 growers/wineries amalgamating under one label. The results are marketing clout (e.g. this LCBO listing) and top quality wine. Aromatically correct Shiraz with peppered black plums, spice and raspberries. Silky tannins are elegantly integrated with ripe fruit flavours and nicely balanced acidity. A long luxurious finish marks this as a bonza wine, mate! A winecurrent.com exceptional value pick. (VH)

Canada

Colio Estate Wines Gamay Noir 2002
VQA Ontario $9.95 (587980)
Distinctively Gamay and decidedly a bargain. A soft and fragrant nose of blueberries and strawberries drifts from the glass. The palate is fresh, fruity and clean with hints of freshly picked strawberries. Serve chilled with comfort food (pizza, burgers or ribs). Purchase from their retail stores (found in many supermarkets) or via the Colio web site, found by linking from ours. (VH)

France

Calvet Médoc 2002
AOC Médoc, Bordeaux, France $13.95 (038208)
This light-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon predominant (75%) blend is quite smooth and silky. Redolent of cherries and raspberries, the muted nose leads into a rounded cornucopia of ripe, dark fruit flavours wrapped up in a delicate texture and well balanced finish. Drink now and over the next 2 years. (VH)

Dopff au Moulin Riesling 2003
AOC Alsace, France $14.00 (49772)
If the high acidity of many Rieslings puts you off, try this softer style from Alsace . It has good fruit flavours (peach, tropical) and grapefruit acidity, with a hint of fruit sweetness. Pair it with spicy dishes like Thai shrimp. (RP)

Fat Bastard Merlot 2003
Vin de Pays d’Oc, France $14.95 (610857)
One of those animal-based brands, but you needn’t fear that it’s all marketing and poor wine. This is well-made Merlot, full-bodied (as you’d expect from the hippopotamus logo), with concentrated dark fruit flavours and reasonable complexity. It’s nicely balanced and dry, and goes well with flavourful red meat dishes. (RP)

Italy

Masi “Campofiorin” 2001
IGT Rosso del Veronese $16.95 (155051)
Sweet black cherry, licorice and tar aromas invite you to try this medium-bodied red. The currant and ripe cherry flavours wash over the palate while the dusty tannins and good acidity mark it a wine to try with pasta in a tomato-based sauce. Primarily from the Corvina grape, plus Rondinella and Molinara, it has strong Amarone characteristics for half the price. (VH)

Masi Masianco Pinot Grigio-Verduzzo 2003
Venezie $14.95 (620773)
A very attractive Pinot Grigio-dominant blend from a well-respected Italian producer, this is delicate yet flavourful, and makes an excellent wine for sipping or to accompany slightly spicy dishes, like garlic shrimp. Look for ripe apple citrus flavours (with a sweet-sour character) and good acidity. (RP)

Zenato Valpolicella 2000
DOC Valpolicella $15.95 (995704)
There’s a decent line-up of Valpolicellas in the LCBO, but they’re very variable in quality and value. Here’s one that’s well worth trying. It has vibrant, generous, red and earthy dried fruit flavours, a good range of spice and pepper notes, and very good, food-friendly acidity. Overall, it’s great value and it goes very well with rich Italian cuisine with a tomato base. (RP)

Spain

Bodega Palacio Viña Portil 2003
Rioja, Spain $11.95 (636936)
A well-priced Rioja with bright cherry flavours and accents of dried fruit and vanilla. It’s medium bodied with generous fruit and a dry texture. The tannins are light and the finish is medium length. It makes a good partner for roast lamb and a little mint jelly. (RP)